For over 40 years AWV Liezen has been the central location for waste management in the Liezen district, processing around 16,000 tonnes of residual waste a year.
In addition to the state capital, Graz, which takes care of its own waste management, Styria is divided into 16 waste management associations. AWV Liezen, which has been led by engineer and managing director Ludwig Bretterebner since 1996, looks after almost the entire Liezen district through its 22 member communities.
A total of 21 employees work on the site. The vehicle fleet includes three trucks for various transport tasks, a material handler for sorting tasks and loading containers, and five wheeled loaders. These were mainly used for handling material in the different areas - from filling the pits and feeding the treatment systems to putting materials in the bioreactors and loading trucks. As part of a recent vehicle fleet upgrade, three of the five wheeled loaders were replaced with the two new Sennebogen 355 E telehandlers.
Bretterebner said that the two 355 Es have enabled AWV to cover a wider range of tasks than it could with the wheeled loaders. He added that the decision to purchase them also meant that AWV could go from three machines down to two. "Obviously, we looked at various telehandlers during this time, but the numerous benefits of the Sennebogen 355 E’s elevating cab were what swayed us in the end," he said.
The telehandlers have an operating weight of just under 12 tonnes and can reach a stacking height of 8.5m, with a maximum load capacity of 5.5 tonnes. The variable travel drive always supplies generous amounts of power thanks to the combined efforts of the stage IV diesel engine and the hydraulic pumps.
The Liezen site handles residual waste, organic waste, bulky waste and problem materials for its member communities. It also handles smaller quantities of commercial waste. The majority of the waste is delivered to the site, but wAWV Liezen also collects bulk waste on the behalf of the communities using 136 collection containers. There are various types of landfill sites at Liezen, including a mass waste landfill and a residual waste landfill, with a construction waste landfill being introduced soon.
Since 1981, AWV Liezen has used a mechanical-biological waste treatment system. It means that all the residual waste can be handled on site and processed in two fractions. One fraction is subject to multiple stages of heat treatment for further use as fuel, and the other fine fraction is treated as biological waste and put into landfill. Material that cannot be reused is put into the mass waste landfill, organic waste is turned into organic compost and put back into circulation. Bulk waste, used timber and metals are all sent for recycling as appropriate.
